Beyond GDP:
Measuring What Matters for Human Wellbeing

Background

Traditional economic metrics like GDP fail to capture many aspects of human wellbeing, community health, and environmental sustainability. This challenge seeks innovative approaches to measuring societal progress that account for quality of life, social cohesion, mental health, environmental quality, and other factors that truly matter to human flourishing.

Key Challenges

1

Developing comprehensive wellbeing metrics that are measurable and comparable

 
2

Integrating subjective wellbeing with objective indicators

 
3

Creating metrics that work across diverse communities and cultures

 
4

Influencing policy decisions to consider broader wellbeing measures

 
5

Balancing economic growth with sustainability and quality of life

 
6

Measuring intangible assets like social capital and community resilience

 
7

Ensuring data collection methods are inclusive and representative

Key Data Sources

  • Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index
  • UN Sustainable Development Goals Indicators
  • OECD Better Life Initiative
  • Utah Foundation Quality of Life Reports

Interdisciplinary Connections

This problem intersects with multiple fields, including:

  • Economics and Econometrics
  • Public Health and Epidemiology
  • Environmental Science
  • Psychology and Behavioral Science
  • Sociology and Social Work
  • Data Science and Statistics
  • Public Policy and Governance

Potential Areas for Innovation

  • Composite wellbeing indices combining multiple life domains
  • Real-time wellbeing dashboards using big data and IoT
  • Participatory measurement involving community input
  • Natural capital accounting and ecosystem services valuation
  • Social progress indices at local and regional levels
  • AI-powered analysis of wellbeing indicators
  • Blockchain-based transparent reporting systems

Relevance to Utah

  • Utah consistently ranks high in wellbeing but faces unique challenges
  • Rapid growth requires balancing economic development with quality of life
  • Environmental quality directly impacts resident wellbeing
  • Community cohesion and social capital are traditional Utah strengths

Questions to Consider

  1. What aspects of wellbeing are most important to measure for policy-making?
  2. How can we create metrics that capture both individual and collective wellbeing?
  3. What role should citizen input play in defining progress metrics?
  4. How do we balance simplicity with comprehensiveness in wellbeing measurement?
  5. How can Utah pioneer new approaches to measuring societal success?